


Placing Blame

by Crash_Martini



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, M/M, mostly only shippy if you squint but it's there, someone eats it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 03:11:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8429227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crash_Martini/pseuds/Crash_Martini
Summary: Keith has made many mistakes in his life and he's learned to accept and work past them. That's how he lived. That's how he managed to get as far as he did.
But this...
This is one mistake he's never going to forgive himself for.
Alternately, the one where Zarkon rounds up the Paladins, Allura, and Coran and try to convince them to work for him instead.





	

**Author's Note:**

> You'll know why I wrote this soon enough.
> 
> The premise is that Zarkon thinks it will be easier to just turn the paladins to his side rather than trying to find ones to replace them.

"I suppose the red lion really is the most temperamental..." Zarkon huffs, watching Keith struggle to so much as lift his cheek off the floor in his fury. After his stupidly desperate attempt to land a feeble punch on him, his guards had immediately wrestled him to the floor in an undignified heap. "Out of all the paladins, you really might be the hardest to replace... However."

"Let him go," Shiro pleads desperately, the rifle aimed at the back of his head keeping him from actually moving around. It would be a stupid decision. He knows it. They all know it.

The rest of the paladins look on, shaking. Terrified. They watch as the alien leader's expression transforms from contemplative into a sneer and then a gleeful grin. It sends a chill down Keith's spine and he stills, barely able to look up from his spot on the floor.

"Pick him up and put him back in line," he orders with a wave of his hand and the Galra troops don't even hesitate, dragging him back to his spot in the middle, just between Shiro and Coran. "/However/... I can't just let such a thing go unpunished. So, Red Paladin. I want you to watch and really understand what it means to try what you just did."

"What do you mean?" Allura's voice that time, from Shiro's other side, is wavering.

"I haven't kept an empire all this time by being soft," he continues, almost wistfully and it does nothing to placate the others, especially when the black bayard appears from his hip. There's a sharp inhale, from who, no one can place, but then Zarkon is pacing in front of them, from Hunk on one end to Lance on the other and then back. The soft click of his boots is in high contrast to the pounding of their hearts.

When he finally stops, Keith feels his heart drop into his stomach. Even from the angle he's standing, he can tell that Zarkon is still casting him a grin over his broad shoulder.

"Don't..." he tries to say, eyes wide and voice weak. This wasn't what he signed up for and he can hear Hunk whimper from the other direction as Zarkon raises the gun. Then raises it higher, swinging the blunt end above his head and staring down at the terrified boy in front of him.

"If any of you so much as move... If any of you say even a word... You will all die." A pause and he's glancing at Allura again, seemingly pleased with the gobsmacked expression on her face. Princess Allura. You have such a strong connection to them... I'm sure that someone as selfless and caring as you will have no trouble taking up the Blue Lion."

That's when it settles into all of their minds, Zarkon standing to the side, staring down at the Blue Paladin, arm poised to strike.

Lance is trembling like a leaf, wide-eyed and obviously terrified, knowing he still had so much he wanted to do...

But in that moment, a sense of contentment seemed to wash over him. The shaking doesn't stop, but Keith can see the way he swallows and steels himself, never breaking eye contact with the monster above him. His shoulders even straighten and he raises his chin in a show of acceptance, even though he can see the wetness pooling in the corners of his eyes.

Keith had messed up.

He had messed up so badly.

And Lance was going to pay for it with his life.

The swing didn't happen in slow motion and there was no out of body experience as he watched the rifle crack down over Lance's skull. Horrified, he watched his body slump forward with a pained grunt and Zarkon raised the weapon again, even as Lance tried to straighten himself.

Lance didn't look good in red, Keith decided, shaking violently as he watched the gun come down a second time, and he could swear that he felt the crack of metal on bone more than he could hear it. He had started crying at some point but he couldn't look away.

Three hits in, Zarkon paused, taunting Lance for his endurance as the boy righted himself once again and tried to look to his friends.

He caught Keith's eye and Keith caught his, barely able to hold his gaze as blood gushed over his face. He had to have noticed how awful Keith looked because his expression immediately changed from pleading to understanding and his lips parted a few times on silent words.

"It's amazing that he's even conscious, let alone trying to speak. Go ahead, Blue Paladin. Speak louder."

"S'... t's not... your... f'lt... not... your fault..."

Keith froze and Zarkon laughed, shaking his head.

"That's it?" The smile immediately fell and the weapon came down again, knocking Lance to the floor finally, but even then, the beating didn't stop. It didn't stop until the floor was flooded in red and Keith swore he'd never felt the weight of his color more than in that moment.

He was never going to forget this mistake.

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise.
> 
> For the record, Lance is my favorite.


End file.
